The ‘Lost’ finale scheduled to air around the world

As the sci-fi epic series, Lost, draws to a close on Sunday, May 23, the last episode of the sixth and final season will be telecast simultaneously in Europe.

Lost's "The End" will be telecast in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Turkey, and on the UK's Channel Sky1 at 5 am along with America's west coast feed. The unprecedented scheduling is an attempt to discourage illegal internet downloads.

The finale will air in 59 countries around the world within 24-48 hours of the show's US telecast at 9 pm ET. In Canada, the last show also airs at 9 pm ET.

Fans who want to avoid "spoilers" are advised to be wary of websites and news outlets releasing information about the results of the episode.

Buzz about Lost is at the top of social networking sites, leading "social media interactions" with an average of 131.4 million posts/reads each month, according to a report from Networked Insights. It ranks at No. 1, ahead of American Idol, which is No. 1 with viewership.

Even filmmaker George Lucas commented on the ending of the show in a letter sent to the producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, shared with the audience at an ABC television event in Los Angeles, "Lost Live: the Final Celebration."

"In six seasons, you've managed to span both time and space, and I don't think I'm alone in saying that I never saw what was around the corner. Now that it's all coming to an end, it's impressive to see how much was planned out in advance and how neatly you've wrapped up everything. You've created something really special. I'm sad that the series is ending, but I look forward to seeing what you two are going to do next.

RC